The Candy Maker’s Heart
by Victoria Blossom
Summary: Lottie Morgan decided to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Little did she know that she was about to enter a magical, delectable world and capture the heart of the sweetest of men.
1. Divinity

_Lottie Morgan decided to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Little did she know that she was about to enter a magical, delectable world and capture the heart of the sweetest of men._

"_All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost." _

_ J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954 _

_Based on the 2005 Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka._

Willy and Charlie were walking to the Bucket house for dinner. They were discussing improvements for a new line of taffy.

"Now, remember, Willy, my cousin Lottie is staying with us for the week."

"Oh, erm, of course!" he said, not paying attention. Was it banana or orange taffy, he wondered, that…

"You remember, Willy, right?"

"Oh, right! Of course, I remember!" said Willy absent-mindedly as he opened the door to walk inside the Bucket home.

"Hello, starshine, the earth says…!" Willy spun around and stopped dead in his tracks, looking at the woman before him. He had expected a girl about Charlie's age.

"Hello," said the lady standing before him. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Wonka." She offered her hand to him. She felt faintly nervous to be meeting him at last.

Willy stammered. He was awfully confused and put out. Who was this…this…this _woman_…here in Charlie's house? This woman with the mystical aqua-green eyes? "Okay, Willy thought to himself, "don't hyperventilate." What should he do? Willy was beginning to get very red and embarrassed at his uncertainty. He went to say something, then grimaced and made a face and looked away. He rubbed his purple gloves together until they squeaked. This continued for about thirty seconds.

"Good God, Wonka, what's the matter with you?" said Grandpa George. "This is just my granddaughter – she doesn't bite, ya know."

Willy suddenly had a vision of this woman with very large teeth, taking a chomp out of his arm. Then she snapped out of it and looked at her trying to recollect himself, sputtering "Uh, ha, welcome to the factory."

"Willy, aren't you going to shake her warmly by the hand, too?" asked Charlie.

"Oh...that. Uh …okay."

He held out a gloved hand to Lottie, who was, but this time, very confused and uncertain. What had she messed up now? What was wrong with her? She peeked up at him, and tentatively met his hand. Were those _purple_ gloves he was wearing?

"I'm Charlotte Divinity Morgan, and I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Wonka."

"Divinity – with an 'n'"?

"One," she replied shyly. No, she thought to herself with a smile, Divinity with a "z."

Willy nodded his head. "You know," he piped up, looking at her directly now, "divinity is a type of white creamy fudge made with egg whites and nuts. I make some here at the factory!" He looked at expectantly.

"Oh, I know! I think your divinity's quite good, actually!" she stammered.

Willy looked at her, beaming with pride. "Why, of course do you, my dear girl, it IS my candy, after all!" He acted like this was simply common knowledge, which, of course, it was.

Lottie smiled back at him a little, still a little unsure of him, but beginning to warm up a little bit to this odd man. His eyes were – what were they? Violet? Did he truly have violet eyes? At any rate, she felt they were kind eyes, if perhaps a bit unnerving. She was sure he thought her a little mouse.

"Yeah," he said, looking around nervously. "Okay..."

"Come on, Willy, sit down and eat something," said Mrs. Bucket. Willy slid into a chair across from her and helped himself to some roast beef and baked potatoes. He whispered over to Charlie, "I thought you were inviting your cousin, Charlie," said Willy.

"Lottie is my cousin, Willy."

Willy peeked across the table at Lottie, and then back at Charlie. "No she isn't!"

"She's my cousin, Willy!" said Charlie.

"Charlie, she can't be your cousin, can she? She's a wo…wom…uh, she's all grown up."

"For heaven's sake, Wonka, you act like you've never seen a woman before! She's my granddaughter, and a very sweet one at that, and she's bloody well not coming over to bite you!"

Willy looked up at her kind eyes, now cast downward in confusion, and had to admit that she didn't seem _too_ scary

"Willy, Lottie's the daughter of my older sister, Melinda. You remember me telling you about Melinda, right?"

"Oh, yeah, I remember!" answered Willy. "The interior designer."

Aunt Bucket piped up, "That's right, you looked at her designs for some rooms in your factory. Now, does anyone want any more brownies?"

"How are school today Charlie?" asked Grandma Josephine.

The family continued on like this, telling each other the comings and goings of the day. They acted no differently than other close-knit families seen the world over, sharing their day over a warm meal.

Willy sat silent, poking his brownie with his fork. He wondered why Mrs. Bucket put walnuts in this brownie? He thought pecans would have been better…or maybe even almonds. Wait a minute, he thought, what about macadamias…or….

"I love rutabagas!' Grandma Georgina suddenly exclaimed to no one in particular.

Lottie went over quietly to the old lady and hugged her gently. "I missed you, dear grandma," she said. Willy's eye followed Lottie's movements across the room. He decided her liked her laugh. Now, what color would he call her hair? Hmm…

"Come on, Willy, let's get to work!" said Charlie, standing up. Willy, slightly startled, looked and Charlie and smiled.

"Okay, Charlie, let's see what we can do with our taffy! I'm still not exactly sure…let me think…" He took out a notepad and scribbled a few notes.

"Have fun, you two," said Mrs. Bucket. "Charlie, be back in two hours to work on your homework."

"Okay, mom!"

As Willy and his protégé were walking out of the door of the little shack, Willy glanced back at Lottie, who was standing by the sink. Her hair was pulled back in pony tail as she got ready to help her aunt with the dishes.

"Are you _sure_ she's your cousin?" he muttered to Charlie.

"Yes, Willy. Come on!"


	2. On the Train

_Lottie Morgan decides to use her week's vacation to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Little did she know that she was about to enter a magical, delectable world and capture the heart of the sweetest of men._

"_All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost." _

_ J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954 _

_Based on the 2005 Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka._

Lottie glanced out the train window, which rolled swiftly along the perfectly landscaped suburban backyards. She finished up some work email on her laptop. Requirements estimates…platform upgrades…team meeting…usability study. After scanning the rest of her emails, she closed her laptop.

She bent down into her bag to find a book to read. She pulled out two held them out for a minute, uncertain which of the two to read.

The first was _Human Factors for Technical Communicators _– a book she had been meaning to read for just over a year.She was always trying to try to make her work more relevant to users, and thought that learning the basics of user interface design might help her with this. Yes, online help authoring was fairly mundane, tedious work, but it gave her no small amount of satisfaction that somehow, somewhere, she could help someone find a little more information quickly and easily.

The second book was _The Hobbit_ by J.R.R. Tolkien. Oh, how Lottie loved fantasy novels! She would pour over the novels of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Roald Dahl, Lewis Caroll, and J.M. Barrie over and over again, propelled into a mystical world where beings were limited only by their imaginations. White magic, mythology, folklore, quests, castles in the air, elves, and –she smiled – even hobbits dwelled in realms she believed were maddenly allusive, but fascinating nevertheless. If she could fly to far-off realms where her dreams could sail away on …if she, Lottie, could write such a novel as to inspire the souls of others…

She was rather rudely awakened from her reverie by a young-looking attendant. "Excuxe me, ma'am would you like something to snack on?" he asked.

Lottie winced. _Ma'am. _She felt so old. She was, in fact, only thirty, but felt much older than her years.

"What do you have?" Lottie hadn't eaten for a while – three or four hours, at any rate.

"Let's see now: potato chips, an apple, or chocolate-covered cherries," he stammered. She felt for the boy: he couldn't have been over sixteen and looked uneasy at the reality of being employed.

"Um… chocolate-covered cherries, please," she said with a hint of a smile, remembering her destination. Lottie had a week vacation left to take for the year from her job as a technical writer, so she decided to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

After paying him and said, suddenly full of pride, "Actually, I'm on my way to a chocolate factory – Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. My relatives live there."

The boy stared at Lottie with wide eyes, suddenly very animated. "You're going to Wonka's Factory? The man with the golden tickets?"

Before she could answer, other people sitting near her overheard him and began talking excitedly.

"You're going to Wonka's Factory!"

"THE Willy Wonka? The only with the Wonka Whipple Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delights? I love those!"

"Do you know Charlie Bucket, then?"

"I heard Willy Wonka can make chewing-gum that never loses its taste…" began a little girl.

"…and sugar balloons that you can blow up to enormous sizes before you pop them with a pin and gobble them up!" finished her twin sister.

"I got an eatable marshmallow pillow for my birthday!" exclaimed another.

Lottie blushed as she shyly looked around. She stammered, "Yeah, that's the guy."

"I heard he's pretty weird – some anti-social nut case."

Lottie bit her lip and listened. The comment came from behind her. She turned around and peered at an older man sitting there with a sardonic grin. She stared and him a minute, baffled. Suddenly, a voice that she soon recognized as her own announced to him:

"I think he's brilliant!"

A little overwhelmed by her announcement, she sat back in her seat, blushing. People around her continued to murmur, but she tried to ignore them all and concentrate on her book.

She felt a strange need to defend a man she had never seen in her life. She didn't understand. Charlie had praised him to the stars to her over the telephone. People around the world loved him. He was world famous. Surely, deep down, she thought that nobody could be truly wicked that made such delightful candy.

As the murmurs began to die down around her, she opened the package she had bought earlier and popped a chocolate-covered cherry into her mouth. She took a deep breath, slumped back in her seat, and pushed her nose in her book.

She eyes rested on a sentence from the page.

"His house was perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or story-telling, or singing, or just sitting and thinking, best, or a pleasant mixture of them all," she read from the page. Suddenly, she began to get quite intrigued by the idea of meeting Willy the infamous Willy Wonka.


	3. Reunions and Sugar Snow

_Lottie Morgan decided to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Little did she know that she was about to enter a magical, delectable world and capture the heart of the sweetest of men._

"_All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost." _

_ J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954 _

_Based on the 2005 Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka._

Her journey almost done, Lottie slid the book into her bag and looked out the window. She rubbed her right wrist gingerly; her carpal tunnel was flaring up again. Typing! All she ever did was type. She looked her fingernails, wishing he would have painted them before she left home.

"'Xcuse me, 'xcuse me!" Lottie looked own and saw a little cherubic boy of four tugged at her pant leg.

"Oh, hello there!" she bent down and smiled at the adorable little munchkin.

"'Xcuse me, but you're standing on my sleeve."

"Oh, so sorry," she said, smiling down at him. "I might point out that you're lying under my seat."

"Are you really going to the factory?" he timidly asked her, with wide, expectant eyes. Lottie felt distinctly like one of Santa's elves.

"I am," she replied. She was reminded of her little baby cat, Miss Kitty. She looked the same way sometimes as this little one here. How adorable!

The little boy continued to look up at her in wonder.

"Come, David, we're holding up the line," said his mother. "Sorry about that, ma'am," said the mother, leading the little boy away.

Lottie sighed. _Ma'am _again. She was not having a good day at all.

She grabbed her suitcase and descended the train platform. As she passed, she noticed a huge advertisement on the platform for Wonka's Nutty Crunch Surprise candy bars.

Lottie peered up ahead at the ticket office and spotted them: Uncle Andy, Charlie, Charlie's Grandpa Joe, and…

"Grandpa George! You're… here!"

"Of course, I'm here, where else should I be?" George sat there in a wheelchair, but his eyes were bright and sharp.

"I missed you, grandpa!" She gave him a kiss on the cheek and hugged the old man.

"How's my favorite granddaughter?"

"Isn't she your _only_ granddaughter, George? asked Joe.

George gave Joe a quizzical look.

"Yes I am! How are you doing, Joe?" asked Lottie, giving him a peck on the cheek. She had known the old man for quite a while now.

"I'm fine! You know, Lottie, we live in Mr. Wonka's factory now. I used to work for him, you know, on Cherry Street."

"Yes, I know!" Hi, Uncle Andy!" Lottie said, giving him a hug. "Hi, Lottie! We're glad you could come."

She looked over at Charlie. "Charlie! Look at you!" Lottie went over to him, hugged him and pinched his cheeks. "You're so cute!" She gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

Charlie puffed out his chest, stepped away, and peered around to make sure nobody was watching. He was not at all happy. "Lottie, I am not 'cute'! I'm a chocolatier-in-training!"

"Oh, I see, I see," said Lottie. "So sorry about that," she had to him, but her eyes were sparkling.

"Now, Charlie, be nice to your godmother," said Mr. Bucket admonished him.

Charlie looked up at Lottie, feeling guilty. "Sorry, Lottie," he said, "I'm glad you're here." He gave her a hug and smiled.

"That's okay, Charlie," said Lottie, "Don't worry about it another minute."

They walked along the sidewalk to Uncle Andy's car, with Charlie was pushing Grandpa George along in his wheelchair. Everybody was excitedly telling her all about the factory: about the great glass elevator, the Oompa Loompas, and the chocolate room, where Mr. Wonka had placed their little cottage. When it snowed, they told her, it didn't snow "snow," it snowed powdered sugar.

"Now, Mr. Wonka, he's what you might call an _eccentric,_" said Uncle Andy.

"That's _one_ way to put it," said Grandpa George.

"Now, pops!"

She thought back to how delighted she'd been when her mother had called her last January to tell her the news. Uncle Andy had called her mother about an hour after Charlie had found the ticket, excitedly telling her what happened. Grandpa George had grabbed the phone from Uncle Andy and muttered something about Charlie not "being a dummy," or something like that. And then, when Charlie won the prize: the prize that was coveted by every child around the world!

Lottie sighed, though. Her parents had frequently tried to give the Bucket family money over the years, but Uncle Andy did not approve of charity. Why? They were family, weren't they? Lottie was just so happy that her loved ones looked so pink and healthy and happy now. Another month of her grandparents eating cabbage soup, and she would have forced to kidnap them herself!

Lottie barely realized when they drove through the factory gates. When she looked up and saw the factory up close, she gasped. It seemed to be built in a sort of "industrial gothic" style, if in fact such a style existed: the sort of building that William Wordsworth might have penned about the industrial revolution. Frankly, it almost looked like something out of a Tim Burton movie, she thought to herself.

As she walked up the steps of the side entrance of the factory, he almost shuttered. She had thoughts of Rochester's Thornfield Hall from _Jane Eyre _dancing though her head. _He probably locks up his mad wife in the attic, too_, she thought to herself grimly. Should she enter the House of Usher?

She felt a hand on her arm. It was Grandpa George

"Courage, Charlotte!" he told her.

Lottie walked though the side entrance, which was very close to the chocolate room. Suddenly, it didn't seem quite so menacing. When they got to the chocolate room, Lottie exclaimed "oh!" when she saw their little cottage, transported the factory. She was stepping on something that felt soft. She bent down to inspect it.

"Powered sugar!" she exclaimed. "It's snowing powered sugar? Of course it is!" She went inside.

"Oh, Aunt Bucket, how are you?" she said, happily hugging her dear aunt.

"Alright dear! No more cabbage soup!" she said joyfully. "My Charlie's got some meat on his bones, now!"

"Yes," said Lottie, wincing a little.

"Hmm…maybe we can go shopping while you're here, Lottie." said her aunt excitedly, "You have such great taste in clothes, my dear. I want you to help me with my eyeliner…"

"_Me_?"

"Yes, _you_, Lottie," her aunt replied firmly. She had always admired her niece's style. "What kind of face powder do you use, Lottie?"

Grandpa George piped up; "She's my pretty little granddaughter, aren't you, sweetie?" Lottie seemed more than a little embarrassed about being fussed over like this.

She nodded to Josephine, and then saw her grandmother.

"Grandma Georgina!" she cried, throwing her arms around the old woman.

"I'm glad for you, dear."

"Glad about what, grandma?"

"Artichokes."

Lottie laughed and hugged her grandmother again. It had been a long time since Grandma Georgina had been lucid enough to even know who Lottie was, but it was nice to hug her just the same.


	4. By the chocolate waterfall

_Lottie Morgan decided to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Little did she know that she was about to enter a magical, delectable world and capture the heart of the sweetest of men._

"_All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost." _

_ J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954 _

_Based on the 2005 Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka._

Lottie sat by the chocolate waterfall, deep in thought. She loved nature, and, while this wasn't exactly "nature" in the strict, traditional sense, she oddly felt that this nature – with its chocolate waterfall, was more authentic than anything found outdoors walking along a river path.

It seemed so peaceful here, she thought, with the gentle roar of the chocolate gushing down from the top of the waterfall and crashing into the river. She looked across the huge room, and saw little warm glow in the window of the cottage Lottie knew that Mr. Wonka has transported into the factory. She faintly heard Joe telling one of this stories and everyone was laughing. Her parents, she thought to herself, were the same way, joking and laughing, and teasing her out of her natural shyness.

And yet what…what of _him_. That eccentric man? What would make someone choose candymaking as a profession. Her own profession flowed naturally out of her love of language and words. Although, she sighed to herself, she'd rather have become a poet, although unfortunately that profession wasn't very lucrative at all.. She lay back on the grass, enjoying just being there.

Willy Wonka was in the Great Glass Elevator after Charlie left him. Suddenly, looking down, he saw a little figure lying by his waterfall. What was this…person… doing? He squinted…that couldn't be an Oompa-Loompa, could it? No – it was _her_.

He hoped he hadn't made too much of a fool out of himself this morning, although he had the sneaking suspicion that, of course, he had. Just when he thought he was doing so much better with this…this…_dealing with people_ thing, too. Willy just sighed to himself, wondering how to make it okay again.

He reasoned for a minute, and decided that she could benefit from learning a little more about this wonderful room she was inside instead of just sleeping. She was in a room entirely made of candy, and she was sleeping! That's no fun at all.

Willy descended from the great glass elevator and snuck up closer to the waterfall, peering behind a large bolder made of chocolate malt. He couldn't help but notice that she seemed so peaceful and…aesthetically pleasing… lying there. She reminded him of something, something far off, but he couldn't remember what exactly. Willy was intensely looking at this...person… and trying to figure her out.

Slowly, he slinked up just behind her and screamed, seeming to come out of nowhere, "My chocolate is churned by waterfall!"

"Ahh!" Lottie nearly jumped out of her skin and shrieked! Turning around, Lottie saw Mr. Wonka standing over her.

"Mr. Wonka, where did you come from!" she gasped.

"Oh, I just wanted to tell you all about my waterfall. You know, no other factory in the _world_ mixes its chocolate by waterfall, and you can take that to the bank." He was looking so calm he thought that he might be in the middle of giving a tour.

He looked at her expectedly, waiting for an answer.

"Really? That's interesting…" she managed. She was actually still shaken.

Willy stood looking down at her for a moment and continued.

"Yeah, the waterfall is the most important part! It makes the chocolate light and frothy." The punctuated his sentence with hand gestures.

"Umm…that's really amazing, Mr. Wonka!" she exclaimed.

"You see those pipes," Mr. Wonka said, motioning for her to look up across the room. "Those pipes suck up the chocolate," he explained, "and carry it away, all over the factory."

She just looked up at him. She was out of breath from being scared half to death, she was very flushed, and yet he seemed singularly intent on giving her some sort of confectionary seminar.

"By the way, did you know that no other factory in world…"

"Mr. Wonka, pardon my interruption, but would you like to sit down?"

"Oh, err, 'kay," he said, looking at her a little hesitantly, and lowered himself on the grass. He had expected to simply give her a little impromptu tour of the room, and was a little unsure of what to do. If he had known he was going to actually have a conversation with her, he would have prepared notecards. After an awkward silence, he peeked over at her.

"So, um, you're Charlie's cousin?"

"Yep," replied Lottie. She tucked her brown hair behind her ears and looked over at him.

"I thought you were going to be, ya know, sort of like Charlie, but not a little boy, but a _little_ _girl_."

"But I'm not a little girl," said Lottie.

"I can see that," said Willy.

"I mean, my mother is ten years older than Charlie's dad, so it's not so surprising that I'm older, too."

Willy thought about this for a little. "Well', he said matter-of-factly, "I suppose that sounds about right."

Lottie looked at his grimace and asked softly. "Are you disappointed with me?"

Willy winced. This is not what he meant at all and didn't mean to make her feel bad. "Oh, poppycock!" he dismissed her question.

"Ohhh! What are you reading?" Willy asked, picking up the book she held in her hands, he read the title, "The Hobbit."

Lottie blushed. "I'm a big fan of fantasy novels, I suppose, Mr. Wonka."

"Oh, really?" said Willy, intrigued. He smilingly flipped through the pages.

Lottie nodded her head. "Mystical places, where dreams come true, where wizards and elves work magic, where knights in shining armor rescue fair damsels in distress!" Lottie waxed poetic, closing her eyes.

"I mean, can you imagine it? Secret worlds, magic potions, a secret quest, mystical adventures! How wonderful – just to go on an adventure! Anything to dream away my mind-numbing, boring life, Mr. Wonka …" She stopped, horrified. What was she saying to him? She barely knew him? Had she _no_ sense of propriety? Lottie thought she should maybe run away or something.

"Willy," he corrected quickly her.

"Willy," she repeated.

He pondered for a moment and simply said, "Well, my dear girl, just where exactly do you think you are right now?"

Lottie opened her eyes and timidly looked around the room. Then she looked at him and saw he was smiling kindly at her with those violet eyes. She blurted out, "I suppose you're absolutely right!"

"Why, of course, I am!" said Willy, just looking at her with an enigmatic grin.

Willy and Lottie sat pensively for a moment, just looking at the gentle splash of the waterfall as it rolled into the stream. Lottie looked sideways at Willy.

"There's only one thing missing, I think?"

"What's that?" asked Mr. Wonka, beginning to worry.

"There are no stars at night in your factory, Mr. Wonka, did you know? Although there's a lake, trees, grass, and a waterfall, but there are no stars in the sky."

Willy listened thoughtfully, taking out his notepad and a pen. "Well," he began, "I suppose I could get some crystallized sugar and set up a large type of telescope on the roof of the factory. By getting precise calculations, I could mimic the path of the constellations, and the sugar…"

Lottie sat up straight, exasperated. "I was just joking, Mr. Wonka!" giggled Lottie, playfully tapping his arm. "Really, your chocolate factory is…wonderful."

Willy looked at the smiling Lottie, whose eyes seemed daring and timid all at the same moment, and his eyes shined back at her. He thought she smelled like strawberry shortcake and lavender.

"Ya know, you can call me Willy."

"Okay, Willy," said Lottie sweetly. She cast her eyes down, flushing slightly, and concentrated intently on the grass she was sitting on.

"Oh, do you like my grass? Have a blade, _please_ do. It's so delectable, it's so gosh darn good looking!"

Lottie looked at him in amazement.

"You mean, you can eat the grass?" she exclaimed. She hadn't thought of that.

"Why, my dear girl, of course you can!" He picked up a blade a grass and held it to her.

"Go on, just eat it."

Lottie tentatively took the blade from his fingers and took a little bite.

"Oh, my gosh, this is …delectable!"

"Told ya," joked Willy, with a satisfied grin.

Lottie smiled and looked down. Willy began to get slightly nervous and twitched a little, making a little grimace, looked away, and then looked at her again.

"Um…would you like a proper tour of my factory?"

"Okay."

"How 'bout tomorrow?"

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Wonka. I'd like that very much."

There was an awkward silence.

"'Kay," Willy said suddenly." See ya tomorrow then, Lottie," He turned on his heel and walked out of the room.


	5. Meanwhile, Back at the Cottage

_Lottie Morgan decided to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Little did she know that she was about to enter a magical, delectable world and capture the heart of the sweetest of men._

"_All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost." _

_ J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954 _

_Based on the 2005 Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka._

Mrs. and Mrs. Bucket had gone with Charlie to open house at his school. The four grandparents were in the cottage just across the chocolate room. Grandpa George and Joe had their noses pressed up against the cottage window, intently watching the pair across the room by the waterfall.

"Boys, come away from the window," said Josephine.

"She could do worse, I suppose," said Grandpa George grudginingly. "She is 30 – and I'd rather not have her become an old maid if she can help it – even if it _is_ to Wonka."

"Mr. Wonka would be a wonderful catch," said Joe admiringly. "I used to work for him, you know, on Cherry Street..."

"Well, he could definitely take care of her, but what kind of father would he be? Women have to think about this sort of thing, ya know. Is he mature enough?"

"Well, he's nice to Charlie, isn't he?" said Joe.

"How do you even know that Mr. Wonka is interested in Lottie?" asked Josephine.

"Of course, he likes her! Look at him," said Grandpa George. "I was once young myself, ya know. " George thought to himself for a minute. "Better keep an eye on him."

"Look here, how do were even know that she's interested in him?"

"Look at her." All three grandparents peered out the window at the pair by the waterfall.

"Well, maybe she _could_ do something with his hair," said Josephine.

"Or _something_," muttered Grandpa George.

"But, listen, I don't think we should push them into it – yet," said Joe. "Mr. Wonka wouldn't like it."

"You're right, dear," said Josephine. "If it's meant to be than it _will_ be without _too_ much interfering."

"Quite right," Grandpa George nodded and looked out the window again.

"Wait up!" he said, "She's coming back."

All three grandparents hurried back to the table and picked up their cards. Lottie, absent-mindedly walking into the cottage.

"Did you have a nice time with Mr. Wonka, sweetheart?" asked Grandpa George.

"Yes grandpa," said Lottie, giving him a peck on his cheek. "How have you all been?"

"Oh, just fine, honey," said George. "Sit down over here and play cards with us."

Lottie made sure that Grandma Georgina was alright, and then sat down at the table with the three others.

"Oh, you looked flushed, dear," said Josephine. "Are you alright? Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please."

"Well," said Joe, "what do you think of Mr. Wonka?"

All three of them waited expectedly at Lottie to answer.

"Well," she stammered, "I think he's very sweet."

"Well, he is a chocolateer!" said Joe. "I used to work for him, you know, on Cherry Street. I was a younger man in those days, and …"

Josephine looked at her. "Lottie, don't you find that he's a bit of a, um…what's the word…"

"_nut job_?" said Grandpa George.

"Actually, _eccentric_ was the word I was looking for, George," said Josephine.

Lottie blushed and took a sip of tea.

"Ya know," causally announced Grandpa George, "I was just reading the other day in one of them magazines your aunt gets that he's considered quite a catch – "one of this year's most eligible bachelors," I believe it said."

Lottie suddenly began choking on her tea and sputtered.

"George, don't kill her!" said Joe.

"I'm only saying that he'd be a good catch for someone, I shouldn't wonder."

Lottie struggled to stop coughing and asked, "When do you think they'll be back?"

"Not too much longer..."

Lottie got up from the table. "Well, I think I'll turn in for the night." She went to kiss Grandma Georgina in the bed and went back to the table.

"'Night, Grandpa," she said, hugging George, who had gone to sit on the bed with her grandmother.

"'Night, sweetie."

Lottie walked up the stairs of the little cottage. "'Night, everyone!"

"'Night, Lottie!."

Lottie lay down on the little mattress on the floor of Charlie's room. Now, Charlie's room, you understand, was decorated in a classic "Wonka-chic" style, with candy wrappers on the walls, candy bars decorated on his blankets, and a big picture of the chocolateer himself hanging on the wall. As she lay there in this unholy shrine to chocolate, a thought came to her mind. "Sugar stars, indeed!" said she, smiling, as she drifted off to sleep.


	6. Six Impossible Things

_Lottie Morgan decided to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Little did she know that she was about to enter a magical, delectable world and capture the heart of the sweetest of men. _

_"All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost." _

_J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954 _

_Based on the 2005 Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. _

Willy and Charlie were in the inventing room early the next morning, working on the formula for a new kind of peppermint drop that you could suck on outside on a cold winter day and it would actually raise your body temperature slightly and prevent frostbite. There were both staring inside a large mixing bowl with puzzling looks.

"Maybe I put too much licorice extract in there?" said Willy, tasting a bit of it with his finger.

"Willy, there _has_ to be a reason why 20 Oompa Loompas developed high fevers, but why?"

"I'm not sure. It's just…weird. Poor little guys…"

"Let's make some strawberry tea later on to take it over to them!"

"'Kay, Charlie," smiled Willy. "Hand me some of that ginger mint over there!"

Willy didn't yet fully appreciate how much he'd changed since last February, when Charlie and the Bucket family had entered his life. Finally, at 38, he had a family, his dad was a part of his life again, and he had inner peace of a sort. He smiled over at Charlie. He loved him like his own son.

"Do you think it's any better, now?" Willy asked him?

Charlie took a taste. "It's great!"

Willy grinned and put the lid on the large pot. Charlie was busy clearing up the rest of the mess. "Lottie likes strawberries."

Willy glanced over the Charlie. "So, she's your cousin, heh?"

"Willy! Haven't we been through this before?" said Charlie, a little put out.

"Oh, erm…right!"

"She's also my godmother."

Willy mused a moment. "How old is she?"

"Thirty, I think. She's pretty old."

"Hey!" Willy remembered his single gray hair that started the whole golden ticket episode to begin with.

"Sorry, Willy."

Charlie and Willy, having cleared up the mess, made their way out the inventing room and down the hall to get to the Bucket cottage for breakfast.

"Has she…is she…has she ever been, ya know..." Willy asked, seemingly nonchalantly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, is she, you know…"

"Is she what, Willy?"

"Is she marr…marr…," Willy sputtered.

"Married? "

"Yeah," he grimaced, "that."

Oh, no! She's not married."

"That's interesting…" said Willy.

"I told you she was coming for weeks, but you just never paid attention to me!"

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Yes, I did!"

"No, you didn't!"

"Yes, I did!"

"Well…maybe you did." said Willy chuckling softly.

"She's such a _girl_. Today, on the train platform, she kissed me, pinched my cheeks, and said how cute I was!" said Charlie.

"Ew!"

"_Exactly_."

"I did miss her, though," said Charlie. "I haven't seen her since last Christmas."

Willy nodded.

"In a way, she's sort of like a mom…sort of…"

Willy looked at him, bewildered. "How do you mean?"

"I mean, she sometimes acts like a mom, ya know? I mean, she doesn't have any kids of her own, but she's always fussing over people and taking care of people. So, she's sort of _like_ a mom, I guess…"

Willy had a faraway look in his eyes, pondering what Charlie had just said.

"And she absolutely adores her cat. _Never_ disrespect her cat."

"Her cat?"

"Yes, her cat's name is Miss Kitty…and she likes poetry."

"Miss Kitty likes poetry?"

"No, _Lottie_ likes poetry."

"_Does_ Miss Kitty like poetry?"

"I don't think so!" Willy and Charlie both chuckled.

"Come on, let's go get breakfast so you can get to school."

"Okay, Willy."

Willy had other rooms, similar to the chocolate room, but not quite as large. They passed one now, a room full of large pine trees with gummy fir needles and chocolate bark. Willy thought he faintly heard something. "Charlie, come over here…" he cautiously said, and went to peek inside the room.

In a little glade in the middle of the room, Charlie and Willy saw a figure. After a minute, they realized it was Lottie. What was she doing?

"Why, me?" said Lottie politely, staring off into the air straight ahead of her.

After a moment she smiled and gracefully curtsied. "I'd be honored, sir."

Lottie suddenly began twirling with the air, holding her arms as if she were dancing with a suitor. As she slowing waltzed around the room, she looked up and smiled at her "partner."

"You can call me _Divinity_…" she exclaimed.

Curious, Willy and Charlie continued to peek into the room. Charlie grinned and said, "My mom doesn't do _that_, though," whispered Charlie to Willy.

No, she doesn't," replied Willy, chuckling.

Lottie continued to gracefully waltz around the room. Willy said to Charlie, 'Come on, let's leave her."

As the two walked down the hall, Willy grinned at Charlie and quipped, "Well, I've always tried to imagine six impossible things before breakfast."


	7. Interludes

_Lottie Morgan decides to use her week's vacation to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Little did she know that she was about to enter a magical, delectable world and capture the heart of the sweetest of men._

"_All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost." _

_ J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954 _

_Based on the 2005 Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka._

When Lottie returned from her walk that morning and strode up into the Bucket cottage, she realized that she was late for breakfast. Gosh, she thought to herself, how long had she been on her walk? Being an early riser, she loved to take walks - but she also didn't want to seem to be slighting her family on the first morning in the factory.

Peeking into the cottage, she saw that breakfast was finished. Aunt Emma was washing the dishes, and the grandparents were sitting around the kitchen table.

"Whoa, look whose back! We thought you got lost, sweetie!" said Grandpa George.

"Hi, grandpa," said Lottie, going to kiss him on the cheek.

"Are you alright, dear?" asked Aunt Emma. "We wondered where you wandered off to!"

"Just taking a little walk, that's all. I'm very sorry I missed breakfast."

"Well, you can have some now, can't you, dear?" smiled Aunt Emma. Lottie got herself some eggs and toast. "Where is everyone?" she asked.

"Well, Charlie's at school, Uncle Andy's at work, and Willy's somewhere in the factory," said her aunt.

"Ah," said Lottie, sitting down to eat, a little disappointed to have missed him at breakfast.

"I love pomegranates!" said Grandma Georgina abruptly.

Lottie looked over to her. "Oh, I forgot to tell grandma 'good morning', too!" said Lottie to her grandfather, running over to give her grandma a kiss.

Grandpa George smiled at them both. "Ya know," he mused, "she seems happier since we've come to the factory, Lottie. Not better - mind you - but definitely happier."

"Mr. Wonka has a wonderful factory," agreed Joe. "I used to work for him, you know, on Cherry Street..."

"Oh, Lottie!" said Aunt Emma suddenly. "I almost forgot. Willy asked me to tell you to meet him at the chocolate waterfall at one o'clock."

Lottie stopped with her fork halfway to her mouth and slightly reddened, her eggs teetering in the air. She had been wondering if he would remember his promise of a tour... she glanced at her grandfather and Joe, and Grandpa George and Joe glanced at each other.

"Oh, thank you, Aunt," said Lottie nervously. She tried to continue to eat.

"Well, isn't that nice of Mr. Wonka," said Grandpa George, giving Lottie a sideways glance across the table, "giving this lady here a proper tour of his factory!"

"Very kind indeed," replied Joe. "Very decent." Both men were grinning at her.

Lottie was mortified. She had to think of a way to change the subject before the two men continued. Couldn't they just watch daytime television and leave her alone? She had a very boring life – really!

"Aunt Emma," said Lottie to her aunt, who was still perched over the counter, "how about we do each other's nails now?"

Emma turned to her, delighted. "What a great idea! Let me finish this pie, and then I'll get the nail kit."

"Here, let me help you finish," said Lottie, going over to her aunt. "Strawberry pie, my favorite!" exclaimed Lottie. Her aunt smiled.

"Aren't strawberries Mr. Wonka's favorite, too?" asked Joe with impish grin.

"I do believe they are, Joe!" said Grandpa George, grinning back at him.

Aunt Emma noticed that Lottie seemed a disconcerted. She turned around to the two men, her hands on her hips.

"Just what are you two laughing about?" Emma exclaimed. She was perplexed and not in a mood for their idle chatter.

"Oh, uh, nothing," said George, looked down at his coffee. He was a little embarrassed, actually. Didn't mean to hurt her, he thought to himself – didn't mean it at all, really.

"Good," said Emma to him, turning on the Oprah show for them to watch.

Turning back to Lottie, she said "Come on, let's work on our nails!"

Willie was walking to the chocolate waterfall after instructing the Oompa Loompas on how to finish up his improved formula for mint cherry fudge. Making sure they understood what to do, he smiled at the little fellow and bent over and crossed his arms across his chest before departing.

Approaching the chocolate room, Willy saw _her_ standing by the waterfall, exactly where he had left her the night before. Walking up to her, he smiled to himself, remembering her early morning waltz in the pine tree glade. He and Charlie, of course, knew why she wasn't at breakfast this morning. In fact, Willy had to kick Charlie under the table at one point to prevent him from revealing his cousin's whereabouts. Willy intuitively understood how important privacy was and thought she should be left in peace to waltz in his glade as much as she pleased.

Lottie heard him approach and turned around to meet him.

"Oh, Mr. Wonka, hello!" she said politely to him. "Thank you so much for your offer of a tour."

He smiled, and was going to reply, when he looked up and perceived her aqua-green eyes. He froze. Her eyes were startling. _Like the sea_, he thought to himself. _How beautiful_. Willy thought he could lose himself in those misty eyes.

"Mr. Wonka?" said Lottie, a little alarmed. Was there something on her nose?

Willy snapped out of his reverie. "Oh, yes, um...hello there!" he managed. "How are you today? You look...great!" Willy flinched. Had he really just said that?

Lottie blushed. "Why thank you, Mr. Wonka," she replied.

"Willy," he corrected her.

"Willy."

"What?" asked Willy, looking at her expectedly. He stood looking at her for a moment, wanting to touch her hair so he could examine its color. What would you call that? Walnut? Chestnut? Almond?

"Um...you just asked me to call you 'Willy,'" she replied, faintly amused.

"Yes, of course," he replied, glancing over at the Bucket cottage across the chocolate room. His eyes rested on a window of the cottage. "What are they doing?" he asked suddenly as his eyes narrowed.

Expecting the worst, Lottie apprehensively peeked around, dreading what she might find there. She, in fact, saw her grandfather and Joe plastered against the window of the cottage, peering at them.

"What do you think they want?" Willy asked her in surprise. The two men, noticing Willy's stare, nonchalantly pretended to be washing the windows. Grandpa George squirted some Windex on the glass pane.

"Um, I think they're maybe just a trifle bored. They, um, like to keep busy."

"By doing _windows_?" asked Willy incredulously, looking at the two men in dismay. How could they be _bored_ in a chocolate factory?

"Um, I suppose so!" she replied, her eyes dancing up to his.

He returned her smile. "So, Lottie," he said, looking down at her. "Are you ready for your tour?"

"Yes, Willy, I am," she said. She loved the way his lavender eyes sparkled.

He suddenly grabbed her by the arm. "Come on, then! There's far too much to see!"

Lottie found herself being dragged toward the exit of the chocolate room by Willy Wonka. She didn't know what was stranger: this odd man pulling her along a room of chocolate, or the two old men giggling in the cottage they were leaving behind.

Actually, Lottie Morgan was the luckiest woman in the world –she just didn't know it yet.


	8. The Inventing Room

_Lottie Morgan decided to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Little did she know that she was about to enter a magical, delectable world and capture the heart of the sweetest of men._

"_All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost." _

_J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954 _

_Based on the 2005 Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka._

He suddenly grabbed her by the arm. "Come on, then! There's far too much to see!"

Lottie found herself being dragged toward the exit of the chocolate room by Willy Wonka. "We'll take the Great Glass Elevator, I think!"

"Great Glass Elevator! But…what is that?" asked Lottie.

Willy walked over to the glass structure and pressed a button. He peered over at her. "Come on, Lottie!" he said.

"You want me to come in there? What kind of elevator is this…" she asked, a bit unsure about this mode of transportation. What was this contraption?

"Why, the Great Glass Elevator, of course!" said Willy. "It's by far the most efficient way of getting around the factory."

Lottie stepped into the elevator and stared around in astonishment. The walls were covered all over with small black push buttons. She read some of the buttons aloud: "Literary allusions…Taffy pulling...Magic beans…Polyester candy…Cranberry hats… Blackcurrant events…Stir crazy cookies…Toffee coffee…"

"Yep," said Willy, smiling at her. "This just isn't an ordinary up-and-down elevator, by the way," said Willy. "This elevator can go longways and sideways and slantways and every other way you can think of."

Lottie watched his enthusiasm in amusement. He was like a little boy, she thought.

"The whole elevator is made of thick, clear glass," Willy declared. "Walls, door, ceiling, floor, everything is made of glass so that you can see out. You just press one button, and…you're off!"

Lottie gasped as the elevator suddenly took off suddenly slantways. It was so fast, in fact, that they were at their destination in about thirty seconds. The elevator stopped as suddenly as it started.

"Come on! I want to show you something!" Willy took her hand and bolted off towards the Inventing Room.

"Run mad as often as you choose," cried Lottie, smiling as she was dragged behind him on a wave of confectionary fervor, "but do not faint!"

Walking into the Inventing Room, Lottie gasped. All about her black metal pots were bubbling and boiling on huge stoves, and kettles were hissing and pans were sizzling, and strange iron machines were clanking and spluttering. The whole place was filled with smoke and steam and delicious rich smells.

Willy glanced over at Lottie, his eyes solemn. "So, do you like it?"

Lottie was overwhelmed. "Oh, Mr. Wonka," she replied, "it's _beautiful_."

Willy beamed with pride, his eyes shining. Today was going pretty well, he thought to himself. Not bad at all.

"Oh!"

Lottie was looking at something on the floor, and Willy wondered what had caught her attention. Suddenly he understood.

"These are Oompa Loompas," said Willy. "Imported….direct from Loompaland. I went to Loompaland looking for exotic new flavors for candy. Instead, I found the Oompa Loompas."

"I know! Aunt Emma told me about them! They're so cute!"

Willy grimaced and said indignantly. "Hey! Oompa Loompas are not 'cute!' They are an important part of my confectionary workforce."

"I'm sorry…that's what I meant," replied Lottie, a bit amused at his discomfort.

"Come here," he said, "I want to show you something."

Willy opened a door. Lottie saw a long table, and on the table there were rows and rows of small, white, square-shaped candies. The candies looked very much like square sugar lumps – except that each of them had a funny little pink face painted on one side.

"There you are," exclaimed Willy, "Square candies that look round!"

"But…they look square!" said Lottie, quizzically looking the candies, "They look completely square!"

"Do not!" said Willy adamantly.

"Do so!" said Lottie.

"Do not!" said Willy.

"Umm…" Lottie was unsure what to do. Weren't they round, after all?

"Wait!" said Willy. "Watch this!" He opened and closed the door to the room again. All the rows and rows of little square candies looked quickly round at him.

Smiling, Lottie peered at the little faces. "They _do_ look 'round!" she exclaimed.

Willy smiled. "Yes," said Willy, "it is truth, but truth is not always appearance."


	9. Castles in the Air

_Lottie Morgan decides to use her week's vacation to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Little did she know that she was about to enter a magical, delectable world and capture the heart of the sweetest of men._

"_All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost." _

_J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954 _

_Based on the 2005 Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka._

That entire afternoon was spent going from room to room in the factory. Willy happily showed Lottie all around the factory, carefully explaining each invention to her. He couldn't remember a time when he felt so entirely happy and at ease with himself. He loved how her aqua-green eyes continually lit up in childish delight.

Willy showed her the Lickable Wallpaper, Fizzy Lifting Drinks, and Eatable Marshmallow Pillows. However, he prudently chose not to take Lottie to the Whipped Cream Room…

As they zoomed by in the Great Glass Elevator, Lottie busied herself with reading the labels on the buttons: Sweet as a nut…Sherbet shed…Stars in their pies…

Willy noticed she was occupied looking at this buttons, and leaned over to smell her hair.

He thought she smelled like caramel, or toffee, or was it nougat? Her hair, he decided, was definitely almond-colored.

They were passing another room now, one full of large pine trees with gummy fir needles and chocolate bark. Willy peaked at her and grinned to himself.

"This is the Gummy Pine Room…would you like to see it?"

"Um, alright," said Lottie, blushing slightly. How embarrassing it would be if he discovered she'd already seen this room before!

Willy smiled and stopped the elevator. "Come on!"

They walked into the room. "Do you like my pine tree glade?"

"It's exquisite, Mr. Wonka," said Lottie, dreamily looking around the room. "This room provides much 'scope for the imagination,' you know. If only…"

"If only what?"

Lottie was very frustrated. It was true that she loved his factory – his remarkable creativity. She was torn between two distinct emotions: admiration and envy. Lottie sighed deeply.

"What's the matter?" asked Willy. What was worrying her? What had he done?

"If only I could convey on paper one fraction of the creativity you've obviously invested into your factory, I'd be as happy as a queen."

Well," said Mr. Wonka, "if you've built castles in the air, your work need not be lost – that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."

Lottie smiled at him. "I know you're right, of course," she said, "but…"

"But what?" said Willy, staring intently at her.

"Well," she began, "how could I ever hope to measure up other brilliant people that have gone before? Why even try?"

Willy thought a moment. "Why do you try? Why upset yourself? Just enjoy my factory, Lottie…"

"Willy!" retorted Lottie. "People don't write poetry…or paint pictures…or compose concertos… or invent marvelous chocolates because it seems like a good idea at the time!"

Willy stared at her. The shy, blushing woman was suddenly gone, and an impassioned woman was in her place. He couldn't decide which one he liked best.

Lottie continued. "We create things because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with _passion_. Poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for!"

Willy gulped and stared at Lottie. Her misty eyes shone and sparkled like the sun.

Lottie, shocked at the speech she had just made, winced in alarm and put a hand on his arm. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be rude, Mr. Wonka – truly I didn't!"

"It's quite alright, Lottie!" said Willy sympathetically. "Really, it is!" He looked at her peculiarly. "Don't you think that _I_, of all people, would understand the importance of dreams?"

"Yes," admitted Lottie. She looked at Willy and saw no spite or embarrassment in his eyes – only understanding. Getting bolder, she smiled up at him. "Although I haven't written anything of my own, I _have_ memorized some poetry written by others." She grinned at him and curtseyed. "Would it please my lord to hear it?"

"Yes, it would," said Willy, sitting down on the mint grass.

"This one is called _The Lady of Shalott_. It was written by Tennyson." Lottie stood on the grass and shyly prepared to recite the tale.

_On either side the river lie _

_Long fields of barley and of rye, _

_That clothe the wold and meet the sky; _

_And thro' the field the road runs by _

_To many-tower'd Camelot; _

_And up and down the people go, _

_Gazing where the lilies blow _

_Round an island there below, _

_The island of Shalott… _

Willy watched her in fascination as she recounted the tale of Elaine, the Lily Maid of Astolat. Lottie knew Tennyson's entire poem by heart, and punctuated the story with dramatic hand gestures.

…_There she weaves by night and day _

_A magic web with colours gay. _

_She has heard a whisper say, _

_A curse is on her if she stay _

_To look down to Camelot. _

_She knows not what the curse may be, _

_And so she weaveth steadily, _

_And little other care hath she, _

_The Lady of Shalott… _

Willy was truly fascinated by now. Why couldn't the Lady simply leave her castle and stop weaving her tapestry? Why _couldn't_ she go down to Camelot?

…_Who is this? and what is here? _

_And in the lighted palace near _

_Died the sound of royal cheer; _

_And they cross'd themselves for fear, _

_All the knights at Camelot: _

_But Lancelot mused a little space; _

_He said, "She has a lovely face; _

_God in his mercy lend her grace, _

_The Lady of Shalott."_

"She…she died?" said Willy, a bit perplexed.

"Yes, Elaine died." Lottie was please that he had seemed interested in the poem.

"Why did she stop weaving her tapestry?" said Willy. "I'm confused…"

"Well, Elaine was cursed, so she had to continually weave a tapestry depicting what was happening outside her window. She looked at the people going by in her mirror. If she actually turned around and looked at the people with her own eyes, she'd become cursed!"

Willy pondered for a moment. "The moment she sets her art aside to _actually_ gaze down on the real world after being isolated in her tower… she dies! It's just weird."

Lottie was intrigued at Willy's turn of mind. "What do you mean?"

"Well, here she is, a brilliant artist, and yet she can only stay a brilliant artist if she remains locked away in her tower from everyone. The minute she actually _looks_ at another person, let alone _talks_ with them, she dies!"

"Yes, I suppose that's about it."

"Can't art and life mix, Lottie?" said Willy, suddenly very poignant. "Can't a person be creative and yet have people they care about around them all the time?"

"Of course, Willy…of course they can!" Lottie was upset at his turn of mood. "Listen, I didn't mean to cause a huge philosophical dilemma!"

Willy laughed at her. "Oh my dear girl, I'm not being philosophical! Willy Wonka is _never_ philosophical!"

At that moment, an Oompa Loompa with an impish grin tugged at Willy's pantleg. "What?" asked Willy, bending down to speak with the small man.

"Oh, really? I'll be right there!" said Willy to the Oompa Loompa. He turned to Lottie.

"Listen, I'm sorry, but there's small problem with a batch of peanut brittle and an Oompa Loompa is sick – I must go at once."

"Oh, gosh, Mr. Wonka, I understand!" said Lottie kindheartedly.

"Thank you," replied Willy. "I had just a totally, completely and wonderful time...isn't that just _weird_!" Lottie smiled at him. "Meet me by the waterfall at eleven o'clock tomorrow, 'kay?" he asked, fidgeting and becoming nervous. "That is, if you wouldn't mind…"

Lottie peaked over at him. "Um…alright. Thank you."

Willy smiled at her. "Good!" he said, turning to leave. When he was almost back into the glass elevator, he suddenly looked up at her with an enigmatic smile, remarking softly:

_Only in their dreams can men be truly free. _

_'Twas always thus and always thus will be._

"Is that Shakespeare?" asked Lottie, suddenly intrigued.

"No," he said, with a twinkle in his eye, "it's _Wonka_."


	10. Musings and Laptops

_Lottie Morgan decided to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Little did she know that she was about to enter a magical, delectable world and capture the heart of the sweetest of men. _

_"All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost." _

_J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954 _

_Based on the 2005 Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. _

"Life seemed to be merely a quick succession of busy nothings" mused Lottie, as she lay down that night on the little mattress on the floor of Charlie's room. The Wonka-inspired décor all around her did nothing to quell her thoughts about a certain enigmatic chocolatier.

Could he be a kindred spirit? She thought of Mr. Wonka's remarkable understanding and perceptiveness as far as she was concerned. He seemed almost to "fly on the wings of imagination itself," she reflected breathlessly. In her mind's eye, she saw someone who was singularly well-matched with herself, who could scale the heights of Fudge Mountain as easily as she built her own castles in the air.

A bump from downstairs quickly brought her back to herself. Brushing a hand through her chestnut hair, she resolved to get her mind on the task at hand.

Her laptop open in front of her, she proceeded to read her emails. Her eye quickly darted to a message from her friend Moira Barnes with a subject line of "I found a guy for you!" She quickly opened the message, and this is what she read:

**From:** Moira Barnes Charlotte Morgan (cmorgan I found a guy for you!

Hi Lottie! How are you? I hope you're doing okay up there in Candyland. How are your relatives doing? Did you eat lots of chocolate:)

Well, I hope you didn't gain too much weight, since I found a guy I think you'd like. He's a cousin of my friend, Alex (you remember, the X-ray technician with the beard?) His name is Cyril Bettenhausen and he's a tax account with Blake Industries. He assesses the effects of taxes on business decisions and performs tax planning to lessen the impact of taxes on businesses. He's also writing a book entitled _Personal Fiscal Management: The Perils and The Pleasures_.

Anyway, he seems stable and dependable and well versed in the tax code. Let me know if you'd like to meet him and I'll arrange a double date! I know a legal researcher I've had my eye on...

Talk to you later!

- Moira

Lottie sighed, considering that Moira never really understood her flights of fancy. Of course, Moira was a back-end programmer with a specialty in Oracle databases. Fantasy was not Moira's forte.

Lottie considered Cyril's description. _Stable. _Well, that's not so bad. _Dependable_. Sounds nice. _Well versed in the tax code_. Lottie had no serious objection to fiscal responsibility.

Lottie hit the **Reply** button her on laptop, intending to allow Moira to fix her up with this tax accountant. It was time she got serious about her future and stop dwelling on things that could never be. It was time to grow up and except responsibility- to walk calmly along life's path.Pondering what to write, she looked around the room.

Her eye was drawn to the large picture of the chocolatier himself hanging on the wall of Charlie's room. Her breath caught in her chest as her thoughts were again drawn to this remarkable man…

_Only in their dreams can men be truly free. _

_'Twas always thus and always thus will be._

Yes, Lottie thought, Mr. Wonka was absolutely right. She would not throw her dreams away on reason and pragmatic concerns. This was, after all, her _own_ heart.

Jaw set, Lottie looks down at the keyboard on her laptop and, after replying to her inquiring of her relatives' health, began "I'm sorry, Moira, but I'm not really interested in a tax accountant…"

Lottie smiled and caught her reflection in the mirror. No, she thought, she could never be content with an average life. Whether Mr. Wonka was attracted her or not, she must be true to herself. She mused…

_Still round the corner there may wait_

_A new road or a secret gate,_

_And though I oft have passed them by,_

_A day will come at last when I_

_Shall take the hidden paths that run_

_West of the Moon, East of the Sun!_


	11. HeartShaped Marshmallows and Waffles

_Lottie Morgan decided to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Little did she know that she was about to enter a magical, delectable world and capture the heart of the sweetest of men._

"_All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost." _

_J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954 _

_Based on the 2005 Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka._

The next morning, Willy was sitting in the Inventing Room, pondering over this formula for lollydoodles. It was so incredibility infuriating! The lollypops tasted lovely, but the candy ink would not flow evenly on paper – it started, and then stopped, and then started again. He tried to write "Willy" across a sheet of paper, but the "i" and the second "l" were not clearly written. How could he fix this?

Deep in thought, he barely noticed the Oompa-Loompa approach's until he felt a small tug on this pantleg. Looking down, Willy saw that the Oompa-Loompa was gesturing at this watch. Willy looked. 10:45! He was to meet Lottie by the chocolate waterfall at 11.

Willy gulped. He asked the Oompa-Loompa if everything was ready. The Oompa-Loompa nodded his head in agreement with a mystifying smile. The meal, the dessert, and the table were perfect.

Nodding in appreciation, Willy turned to consult once his formula, but found it singularly hard to concentrate. Why was he so nervous?

Deep in his heart, Willy had discerned why he was nervous, but was hesitant to put a name to these unfamiliar feelings that Lottie's presence brought upon him. Her misty sea-green eyes! Willy thought that those kind and lovely eyes could pierce his soul.

But how could he care so for her? After all, hadn't he only known her a few days? Why did she affect him so?

Perhaps, Willy reflected, it is neither time nor opportunity that determines intimacy– it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others.

Willy glanced down at this watch. It was 10:50. He stood up and made his way to the Chocolate Room.

* * *

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a large chocolate factory, good fortune, and amiable yet eccentric disposition, must be in want of a wife. 

At least, this was the opinion of the Bucket family. Peeking out the window of the cottage, Grandpa George watched Lottie stand by the chocolate waterfall in anticipation of her lunch with Mr. Wonka.

"Well, it's lunch now, is it?" stated Grandpa George, with a mischievous smile on his face. "I told you they liked each other!"

"George, it's only _lunch_ for the moment, you know!" exclaimed Josephine. "No one's taking it any further."

"Well, he seems to be taken with her, isn't he!" retorted George.

"Mr. Wonka is a particularly eligible young man. I used to work for him, you know, on Cherry Street…" began Joe.

Mrs. Bucket, listening to this conversation, turned around and stated to the pair: "Meddle not in the affairs of chocolatiers, for they are quirky and apt to act bizarrely."

The two men simply stared at her in shock.

Presently, Mrs. Bucket laughed and said, "Alright! Alright! You can meddle a _little_ bit. I just don't want you two upsetting Lottie."

Smiling at each other, Grandpa George and Joe continued their discussion…

* * *

Lottie sat in a rather majestic dining room, decorated in Regency style, with candy rococo rose-and-lily garland and draperies tinged with mauve and gold. A beautiful ornate chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the walls were covered with creamy alabaster moldings. The table in front of her was of beautifully-polished rosewood. Lottie stared in awe. 

"It's beautiful," said Lottie matter-of-factly.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Willy, unassumingly. "I never really come in here, actually."

They were dining on beef marinated and braised in red wine with mushrooms and onions. Willy distinctly remembered asking the Oompa-Loompas to provide a nice meal for himself and Lottie for lunch. He did _not_ expect it to be a formal dinner in the great dining room. Would she think he was showing off?

He glanced over at Lottie. She seemed faintly self-conscious at the rather splendid surroundings, but did not seem upset in the slightest. Willy sighed – he truly did not want to distress her.

"I feel like I'm Alice and have just popped down a rabbit hole," Lottie mused, looking at Willy.

"Maybe you _are_ Alice," replied Willy with a smile.

"Well then, if I'm Alice, then, what does that make you?"

Willy thought for a moment. "Um, a Dormouse?"

Lottie looked down, trying not to laugh. Her face was very red, and Willy distinctly heard a faint snort as she tried to suppress her soft giggles with her hand.

"Hey, what's so funny?" asked Willy. He was by this time very intrigued. What was going on? Why was she laughing?

Lottie peeked over at him and tried to compose herself. Should she tell him?

"You're the Mad Hatter!" she exclaimed and laughed out loud.

Willy thought for a moment in astonishment. Suddenly he began laughing as well, and for a moment they were lost to fits of amusement.

"This is a sort of fantasy land, isn't it, I suppose? I've even got hobbits," Willy said after a moment, still smiling, glancing at an Oopma Loompa who was bringing them some dessert.

"Tapioca?" said Willy

"Yes…thank you," replied Lottie. Willy noticed that Lottie was gingerly removing the raisins resting in the tapioca and placing them on her napkin.

"You don't like raisins?" he asked.

"Not really," replied Lottie.

"Why?"

"They used to be fat and juicy and now they're twisted….they had their lives stolen. They _taste_ sweet, but really they're just humiliated grapes," Lottie said seriously.

Willy though for a minute and nodded in agreement. "Yeah - It's a shame about raisins."

Lottie glanced at the Oompa Loompa, still standing near the table, looking up at her in anticipation.

"Oh, look at you! You're so cute!" she exclaimed to the Oompa Loompa. "You are just so adorable!"

The Oompa Loompa beamed up at her with a big smile on his face.

Willy shot the Oompa Loompa a nasty look, "Oompa Loompas are not 'cute'. They happen to be invaluable members of my confectionary workforce," he explained to her.

Turning to the enchanted Oompa Loompa he said, "Um, excuse me…excuse me! Could we have our hot chocolate?"

The small man answered Willy in Oompa-Loompaish. After a moment, Willy turned to Lottie and translated, "He says here's some hot chocolate for the… ha, ha…._pretty lady_… ha, ha." Willy blushed and shot the Oompa-Loompa a very nasty look.

Lottie took a sip, and noticed the marshmallows – little heart-shaped marshmallows – floating around in her hot chocolate.

"Oh look! There's little hearts in mine," she exclaimed.

Willy looked down at his own hot chocolate and found that his marshmallows were of the usual type. Willy flashed the Oompa-Loompa a _very_, _very_ nasty look.

The Oompa Loompa shrugged, taking the hint, and slowly walked away.

Willy smiled in self satisfaction. After a moment, he asked Lottie, "Do you enjoy being a technical writer?"

Lottie flinched and looked down. "Well," she replied, "I _do_ enjoy writing and helping others to understand new software." She looked at Willy, spotting curiosity in his lavender eyes, and continued, "I must confess…I do get satisfaction from thinking that someone might be out there – confused and frustrated – trying to understand how to operate new software. If my talent somehow helps them to understand the system and spare them unnecessary confusion, then I am quite content with myself."

Willy nodded in understanding.

"After all, writers should be _read_, but neither seen nor heard…and although I would much rather write fiction, such literature does not, unfortunately, pay the bills." She stopped and glanced up at Willy. "So, you see, Mr. Wonka, I am really just a writer."

Willy's eyes bore into Lottie in astonishment. Agitated, he exclaimed, _"Just_ a writer? What a horrible candle-snuffing word. That's like saying, 'He can't climb that mountain, he's just a man' or 'That's not a diamond, it's just a rock.' _Just_."

Willy and Lottie stared at each other in intensity, oblivious to both time and to the Oompa Loompa offering them more hot chocolate. The small man looked at them both, shrugged, and walked away.

Willy collected himself. "Ha, ha…I'm sorry…I don't mean to upset you."

Lottie looked down at her lap.

"You're not mad, are you…_Starshine_?"

Lottie peered up at him. "Why did you call me that?" she asked, much surprised.

"I…," Willy began, not exactly sure himself why he had chosen this particular endearment to call her, "I don't know."

Lottie smiled at him. Willy felt certain that the room seemed warmer and brighter. "No, Mr. Wonka, I'm not mad."

"Um, Lottie?"

"What?" she replied.

"Um, nothing," rejoined Willy.

"Um, Lottie?"

"What?" she replied.

"Um, nothing."

"Mr. Wonka, if you won't tell me what's on your mind, I'm leaving right now!"

"Willy!"

"Willy," she corrected herself.

"Um, well…" Willy was very uncomfortable, unsure how to proceed. It was not as if this was an everyday situation for the chocolatier. "Miss Morgan, I would be happy if you would join me at the theatre tomorrow night?" He looked at Lottie expectedly.

Lottie was astonished. "Why, yes, …Willy," he replied. "I'd like that very much."

Willy grinned.

"What play shall we see?"

Willy shot her a playful look.

"_Peter Pan_."

* * *

At breakfast the next morning, the three grandparents kept giving Lottie knowing looks. Willy walked into the cottage for breakfast. 

"Good morning, Lottie," said Willy, timidly sitting down by her and across from Charlie.

"Good morning, Willy." She gave him a nervous smile. "Would you like some waffles?"

"Yes, please," he responded, taking off his hat and picking up his glass of orange juice.

Lottie put a waffle on his plate, then another one, then another one, and then another one. She then poured syrup all over the whole thing and handled him the plate. Willy, surprised, stared down at the plate in astonishment.

"How much do you think Mr. Wonka eats!" finally exclaimed Charlie.

Lottie's face was very red she realized what she'd done. Willy, realization dawning on him, gave a faint chuckle.

Lottie looked around to see everyone grinning at her, and just put her face in her hands on wished she'd disappear. Wished the table would just swallow her up. She wished she could just be typing, typing typing…

Finally, after about five minutes, she realized that her Grandpa and Joe were discussing fishing. She peeked around and realized no one was looking at her anymore, so she gathered her strength and quietly ate a waffle.

Lottie sighed. This would be a very long day.


	12. The Courtship of Willy Wonka

_Lottie Morgan decided to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Little did she know that she was about to enter a magical, delectable world and capture the heart of the sweetest of men. _

_"All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost." _

_ J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954 _

_Based on the 2005 Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. _

Willy stood in front of his bedroom mirror, sheepishly turning to view his coat jacket at a profile. Did it look alright, he wondered? The lush, soft velvet burgundy coat was a favorite of his. Was he dressed up enough? Too dressed up? Willy sighed and gazed over to his dresser, where two tickets for tonight's performance were lying. Oh, what could he have been thinking, trying he could court Lottie? Who was he trying to fool – himself or her? She was like a beautiful, rare jewel and he…well…he was Willy Wonka – hardly a heartthrob.

_Lottie._ Willy looked down again and smiled in spite of himself. He distinctly saw in his mind's eye Lottie's waltz in the pine tree glade. How beautiful he'd thought her then – how graceful. How much more beautiful he thought her now…

"You look nice, Willy!"

"ARRR!" Abruptly startled, Willy jumped and peered down at Charlie, who was standing in the doorway with a small smile on his face.

"Uh, ya think so?" asked Willy cautiously, turning back to his reflection in the mirror and biting his lip and exhaling.

Charlie crossed over to the candyman, touching his sleeve to feel the soft velvet.

"It's very soft, isn't it?" said Charlie.

"Hmm? Yes, it is, I suppose." Willy stepped back, glancing at Charlie, and swallowed hard, his eyes devoid of mirth. "Look. Charlie, do you think this is a good idea? Tell me the truth."

"You mean, you wearing this coat?" asked Charlie with a confused expression. "It looks very nice! The color…"

"What? No, no, no!" exclaimed Willy.

"No, what? You look nice in burgundy, Willy! Honest! You see, you're a 'winter' and…"

Willy sighed and stared at the floor, his face slightly red. He covered his eyes with his hands, willing himself to get the words out. "No, Charlie, I mean if the _circumstances_ under which I'm wearing the coat is a good idea…"

Willy gulped. He was certain Charlie would disapprove. He didn't want his protégé to disapprove about anything concerning him or the factory. He was ashamed to admit it, but Charlie Bucket was his best friend.

"You and Lottie, you mean?" asked Charlie, peering up at the chocolatier in surprise.

Willy nodded and waited apprehensively for the boy's answer.

"Why, Willy, _of course_ it's a good idea! You two have a lot in common…" Charlie stopped for a moment. "_You_ do like her, don't you, Willy?"

Willy paused for a moment. He replied in a thoroughly adult voice, without a hint of the clownish exterior, as he stared at his reflection, "Yes, I do like her… very much." His tone was serious, masculine.

"You'll be okay, Willy!" exclaimed Charlie, smiling, finally understanding his friend's trepidation. "Lottie is getting dressed up, too! She's very pretty!"

Willy felt his knees become weak and he thought he might faint or vomit or something. He leaned against a chair for support.

"Willy, are you sure you're alright?" asked Charlie, with a concerned look on his face, noting that Willy had gone slightly green.

Willy looked up at the boy, feeling a bit embarrassed at his panic and determined to overcome it – or at least to hide it better. He straightened up and said, "Why, oh course, my dear boy!" said Willy in a sing song voice, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Charlie looked up at Willy's forced smile and sighed, taking his friend by the hand to lead him down the corridor to the chocolate waterfall – and his cousin.

* * *

Lottie sat on a chair upstairs in Charlie's bedroom, studying herself in a little mirror on the wall. Her pearl-drop earrings swayed gently as he moved her head to examine her almond-colored hair. Was her upswept coiffure too much? It was, after all, only a play, and not the opera or something else exceedingly grand. She bit her lip and gazed at her reflection. How could she ever hope Willy Wonka could ever think of her as more than a friend? After all, he was this year's "most eligible bachelor" and the owner of the most famous chocolate factory in the world. What was she thinking…a little mouse like her?

"Here, Lottie, try this necklace" said Mrs. Bucket, coming up from behind. "It matches your earrings." Lottie looked down at the delicate pearl choker as it was fastened around her neck.

"Oh, Aunt Emma, this is too fine for me!"

"Nonsense!" said another voice, "nothing's too fine for _my_ granddaughter!"

Lottie looked around to see her grandfather sitting on the top step of the stairway. He must have scooted himself upstairs, once step at a time.

"Oh, grandpa!"

"Don't 'oh, grandpa' me, young lady!" replied the old man, pointing to her jewelry. "I bought these for your grandmother when we were courting. She'd want you to wear them tonight."

Lottie smiled, knowing it was impossible to reason with the old man when he was so determined. "Okay, grandpa. I'll wear them."

"Good girl," he replied, satisfied.

Lottie gulped and looked in the mirror. Her nerves were getting the better of her. "Come on," said Aunt Emma cheerfully, "let's do your nails…"

* * *

Lottie walked to the chocolate waterfall, taking small steps. She was unaccustomed to heels, and she hobbled slightly. When she reached the waterfall, she paused and took a deep breath. She could do this…of course she could do this! Why was she so nervous? Why? It's not a big deal and…

"Hi, Lottie!"

Lottie jumped a good two feet into the air- not highly recommended for a lady wearing heels. She peered around.

"Mr. Wonka?"

"None other!" he replied with a gleam in his eye. "Who else were you expecting to meet at the chocolate waterfall at six o'clock tonight?"

Lottie smiled and giggled along with Willy. Willy stopped and studied her for a moment.

"Well, eh, you look kind of pretty, now don't ya!"

Lottie blushed. "Well, come on," she stammered, "let's get going." Willy held out his arm and escorted Lottie to the Great Glass Elevator.

Her grandpa and Joe were watching from the cottage window. Grandpa George turned around to his friend.

"Ya owe my five bucks, Joe!" said Grandpa George. "Pay up!"

"Oh, alright, George," replied Joe, smiling and reaching into his pocket. "Mr. Wonka _did_ ask Lottie out, didn't he? I used to work for him, you know, on Cherry Street…"

* * *

It was all Charlie's fault, really – because, once you've opened your gates to one person, _anyone_ was liable to come in.

Willy and Lottie were sitting in their seats at the theater, waiting for the performance to begin.

"Oh, look!" said Lottie at a little boy a few rows ahead of them who was wearing a duckie shirt. "Isn't he so cute!"

"Hmph!" Willy grimaced and crossed his arms.

"What's the matter?" asked Lottie worriedly.

"Well," he replied, "you think that kid sitting up ahead is cute, and Charlie's cute, and the Oompa Loompas are cute, and your kitty's cute…"

"So?" asked Lottie.

"_So_?" he pouted, "Don't you think _I'm_ cute, too?" he asked her, almost too softly to hear.

"Yes, Willy, I think you are very cute." A small smile danced onto Willy's face.

"So…" said Lottie, "Do you think I'm pretty?"

_You're so exquisite I can scarcely breathe_, thought Willy.

"You are very…umm…aesthetically pleasing" is what he actually said.

The orchestra stopped playing, and the lights dimmed.

"I think it's beginning…"

"Yes," said Willy, glancing at her, "I think it _is_ beginning…"

* * *

_When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies._

It was the middle of the play, and Willy wondered the name of the actress who placed Tinkerbell. He thought she looked slightly familiar, and wondered if she was the same person from a television show. He bent down to get the program…

_And now when every new baby is born its first laugh becomes a fairy. So there ought to be one fairy for every boy or girl._

_Ought to be? Isn't there?_

There was someone passing in the row ahead of them. Lottie looked at the program on the floor, and hoped it wasn't getting dirty. She bent down to get the program…

_Oh, no! Children know such a lot now. Soon they won't believe in fairies, and every time a child says "I don't believe in fairies" there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead!_

Simultaneously, they both reached for the program, and their hands met. After five seconds of mutual shock, during which they were both perfectly still, hands slightly touching, they both moved away. Their eyes met for a brief moment. Both Lottie and Willy were silently grateful that the lights were low, masking their deep blushes.

* * *

Lottie and Willy sat by the shores of the sea, charmed by the unspeakable purity and freshness of the air. There was just enough heat to enhance the value of the breeze, and just enough wind to keep the whole sea in motion, to make the waves come bounding to the shore, foaming and sparkling, as if wild with glee.

Willy sighed, looking out at the horizon. He spied a small lighthouse in the distance, its searchlight slowly moving back and forth, searching for what he knew not. Feeling particularly poetic, he murmured, half to himself…

_Charm'd magic casements opening on the foam_

_Of perilous seas, and fairylands forlorn._

Lottie, startled out of her reverie, quickly peered at the chocolatier.

"That's Keats, isn't it?" she asked.

Willy nodded his acquiescence. "Ode to a Nightingale."

"Strange to find a candymaker quoting Keats!" she exclaimed.

Willy got up and walked a few steps, the sprightly gales gently tousling his hair. He searchingly gazed out at the ocean, listening to the mournful sound of the wind.

"Oh, life as a candymaker can be slow at times," he finally stated, "there's plenty of time for reading while you're waiting for chocolate to boil."

Lottie laughed and looked over at him, her courage building. "You know," she began, her eyes dancing, "you're quite an extraordinary man, Willy Wonka…"

Willy sighed, looking down. He slightly trembled, his lavender eyes gazing into the sand. He was curiously disconnected from himself.

"No, Lottie, I'm just an ordinary man…"

Lottie mused a minute, considering his words. She moved in front of him, until it was impossible for him to avoid looking into her mesmerizing eyes.

"Mr. Wonka," she simply said, "it's hard to imagine _you_ being an ordinary _anything_!"

Willy smiled at her. He seemed to reveal his entire soul when he smiled like that. She was certain she felt warm rays of sunshine, regardless of the darkling sky.

Willy stared at Lottie's eyes. Her green eyes were bright and stormy like the ocean, crashing like boisterous waves over the landscape of his soul. The perfumed zephyr blew over her strands of hair in measured motion. She looked at him, animated, as if she was a wind harp that suddenly burst into song.

"Hold me," Lottie whispered, coming closer to him.

"I…can't," Willy said simply.

Lottie reached over and gingerly took Willy's hand. "I understand, Willy," she whispered.

Willy stood straight ahead, looking stiff and conflicted. _Human contact_, he thought to himself, _yikes_. Then he thought to himself, _she's holding my hand_ – _wow!_ Willy slowly gazed down at her and studied her face. There was no mockery to be found there, no pity.

He grimaced. He flinched. He squeaked his purple gloved together. He grimaced some more. He did not, however, pull away his hand. He just stood there, staring straight out at the ocean.

After about two minutes, Lottie rested her head on his shoulder.

Willy grimaced. He flinched. He grimaced some more. He did not, however, move away.

After about two minutes, Willy, drawn by warmth of her hair as she rested her chin on his shoulder, slowly felt his arms go around her and hold her. He breathed her in and held her close.

"Yes, you _can_, Willy," said Lottie simply. _Yes, you can._

**Author's Note: Two more chapters are planned before this story is complete. Sorry for the delay!**


End file.
